Tailchaser’s Song

The beast of the Clawguard was off balance for only a heartbeat; with a growl he bounded after Eatbugs. He caught him within a matter of moments, knocking the tattered cat skidding in the mud, then leaped onto his back. There came a frenzied yowl-from which of the two Fritti could not say- and then, amazingly, Eatbugs rose up and raked his claws against Longtooth's snout. Eatbugs' mud-matted fur stood out spikily as he pressed forward; for a moment he seemed to grow, to become strong. Then, as Longtooth recovered his wits and charged again, Tailchaser saw that Eatbugs was just what he had been: an old cat, puffed by madness, up against a monster twice his size. Longtooth dealt a crashing kick to Eatbugs' face as they grappled, and the old one dropped limply to the muddy earth, blood ru

"Stop, or I'll have your eyes!" Longtooth, his glittering stare now opaque with bloodlust, hesitated for a moment. He bared his teeth, then turned to stare at his chief. Scratchnail chuckled, a dry, scaly sound.

"Well," he said, "the old drooler made a pretty fool out of you, didn't he?" Longtooth looked over to his leader with undisguised hatred, but moved no closer to Eatbugs. "Almost got away, too, didn't he?" Scratchnail taunted. "It was your fault, and now you can carry him for a while. You'd better hope that pathetic old skin-rat is still breathing, because the Fat One wanted this bunch alive-at least until he sees them. What do you think he'd do to you if you interfered, my friend?" Scratchnail gri

"Maybe he'd give you to the Toothguard, eh? Wouldn't that be unpleasant!" Longtooth shivered and looked away from his chief. Gingerly, he approached the old cat and sniffed him, then picked him up with his mouth.

"Very good," said Scratchnail, motioning to Bitefast, who had watched the events without moving. "Let's go. The Fire-eye will be open soon. We'll have to make double-time to the Western Mouth."

Fritti and his young friend were harried forward, always in. a straight line, with no slackening of pace allowed. The steady rain had thickened, soaking their fur and turning the forest paths into slippery bog.

When it seemed as though things could be no worse for the prisoners, the rain began to turn to hail. Tailchaser, feeling the stinging pelt of the ice-stones, remembered the Rikchikchik and their attack from the treetops. This attack was unceasing, though, and his bodv was already cold and battered. When he and Pouncequick tried to change their route slightly, to gain more protection from the trees overhead, Scratchnail and his bullies pushed them back onto the path. The beast-cats themselves were not bothered by the hailstones-or did not seem to be-and seemed to be hurrying toward some important rendezvous. Fritti and Pounce, silent and beaten, kept their heads low and kept moving. The first traces of dawn were begi

Abruptly, at an unintelligible command from Scratchnail, Longtooth bounded forward and vanished into a clump of bracken. Everyone else waited for a moment in the eerie silence of Ratleaf. Then Bitefast's reptilian head reappeared and bobbed once. Scratchnaii gave a low growl of approval.

"Now, you miserable Squeakers, into the bushes you go!"

Longtooth, still carrying the silent form of Eatbugs, followed Bitefast into the tangle of brush. After a moment's hesitation-in which he weighed the chances of making a break for freedom, and realized that he would never outrun Scratchnail-Tailchaser followed the Clawguard. Pouncequick, eyes still inwardly fixed, padded after.

I suppose they're going to kill us here, Fritti thought.

Tailchaser felt suddenly resigned to death-almost grateful to be able to give up the struggle.

With the Clawguard chief bringing up the rear, they ducked and twisted their way through the clinging tendrils. Eyes half closed to protect them from looming thorns, Tailchaser almost tumbled headlong into the hole that appeared before him.

The hole was wide and dark, the tu

Scratchnail pushed through the last of the branches. "Well," he said, "climb in, you surface-creepers, or I shall have to help you." His distorted form bulked closer, eyes glowing. Fritti felt torn. Perhaps it would be better to die in the open than to be killed like a gopher down a short hole. But as he looked at Scratchnail, some of his hatred came back, and he wanted to live a little longer. Why should the huge Clawguard have to get them into a tu

Well, he decided, I suppose I have no other choice.

As he was stepping gingerly down into the dark hole, he looked back at Pouncequick. The kitten was so full of fear that he was pushing back from the tu

"It's all right, Pounce, you'll be all right," Tailchaser heard himself saying. "Trust me-I won't let them hurt you. Come on, we've got to go." He hated himself for forcing the frightened youngling into that dark, awful burrow. Butting and tugging with his teeth, he managed to pry Pouncequick's grip loose, and they descended into darkness.

CHAPTER 19

While, like a ghastly rapid river Through the pale door,

A hideous throng rush out forever And laugh-but smile no more.

–Edgar Allan Poe

The walls and floor of the tu

Pouncequick, once underground, resumed his plodding and nearly lifeless mode. The clay beneath their paws stuck and crumbled between their pads. The silence was complete.

After some time they caught up with the other two Clawguard, Longtooth still carrying his soiled burden. So they continued: Fritti and Pouncequick, hemmed fore and hind by red claws, above and below by damp, solid earth.

It was impossible for Fritti to gauge the passing of time. The group, captors and captives, walked and walked, but the featureless soil never changed; the dim, nauseating glow of the tu